Re-Render the CGI in only 4 weeks? Re: [B5JMS] Plea to JMS &

[b5jms-admin at cs.columbia.edu]

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From: Troy Heagy <electrictroy at yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2002 15:06:06 -0800 (PST)
Lines: 74

> From: mojo at devilrock.whiteoaks.com (Morris Jones)
> It does indeed make me sad when I see cropped or
> stretched CGI graphics.
> For example, notice the "lens flares" in the opening
> titles.  On the
> DVD, they're oval instead of circular.  The original
> scene has been stretched. (snip)
>
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> From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
> On the CGI question, bear in mind that we were
> making this show at the very
> beginning of CGI effects, and that they had never
> been done for TV on this
> scale before.  Many andvancements have been made in
> the intervening years, but
> at the time, the hardware and software we had was
> pretty rudimentary.
> We did not have the tech, at that time, to do our
> comps in widescreen super35
> versions.  The software that we used to dump the
> footage into couldn't handle
> it.  So we had no choice but to render the CGI and
> the comps in standard ratio.
(snip)



The Star Trek: DS9 and VOY transfers will probably
have the same problem?  They used the same company
(Foundation) as B5 did during years 1-3, and so
presumably will have the same problems transferring
the CGI from the squarish 4:3 ratio to
widescreen/letterbox ratio. (i.e. Stretched/distorted
computer imagery.)  Ditto other sci-fi/fantasy shows
that used CGI in the 90's like seaQuest, Xena, or
Earth:Final Conflict.  We'll be seeing *lots* of
stretched computer imagery in our collections.

(Note: Before anybody brings up the Trek:TNG transfers
to DVD... they used models.  Because the models were
recorded on Panavision film, no stretching problem
exists.)



As for re-rendering the B5 CGI, today's computers are
100 times faster than the primitive Amigas used during
B5 Year 1.  If the original files were found, all of
the B5 scenery could be re-rendered in just 3-4 weeks!
 (Wow!)

Of course, that's a big "if".  Without the files, jms
or other producers would need to re-hire all new
artists to recreate the original footage.  Expensive. 
It was done for the Star Wars Special Editions, but I
doubt WB would cough up the money for a Babylon 5
Special Edition.

But I'll keep hoping!  I would LOVE to see a Special
Edition of B5 with all-new, crystal-clear graphics.
:-)

Troy




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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 09 Dec 2002 05:35:04 GMT
Lines: 18

>Of course, that's a big "if".  Without the files, jms
>or other producers would need to re-hire all new
>artists to recreate the original footage.  Expensive. 
>It was done for the Star Wars Special Editions, but I
>doubt WB would cough up the money for a Babylon 5

Those files are no more.

 jms

(jmsatb5 at aol.com)
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